people 1 of 2

people

2 of 2

verb

as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants a science-fiction novel about a mission to people Mars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of people
Plural noun
Still, any Emirati response would likely stop at downgrading diplomatic ties rather than severing them, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Yossi Shelley, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025 In late September, federal officers broke down doors and arrested dozens of people during a massive apartment raid on Chicago's south side. Meg Anderson, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
By Meaghan Garvey February 13, 2025 Image by Chris Panicker, photo by Chris Weeks/WireImage Know that all of Nature is but a magic theater, that the great Mother is the master magician, and that this whole world is peopled by her many parts. Meaghan Garvey, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2025 Colonies founded by charters to private companies and peopled by restless dreamers gave us an entrepreneurial spirit from the outset. The Editors, National Review, 28 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for people
Recent Examples of Synonyms for people
Verb
  • If time allows, add Museum of the American Revolution (Washington’s original field tent is the star), the Betsy Ross House, where the famed seamstress designed the American flag, and cobblestoned Elfreth’s Alley, the nation’s oldest continuously inhabited residential street, to your agenda.
    Regan Stephens, AFAR Media, 14 Oct. 2025
  • But inhabiting this patchwork outcast has sparked a creative resurgence (and rave reviews) for the 28-year-old Australian star, plus some real Oscar buzz.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The movie, which posits an impending nuclear strike on a major American city, is a flimsy yet high-minded piece of doomsday schlock, largely populated by ciphers in suits and drained of the pulp pleasures that schlock, at its best, can afford.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The people who populated her life, referred to always by their full names.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“People.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/people. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on people

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!